Pablo Rodriguez

[Regional Economic Development, December 4th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec thinks that his agency is a partisan tool, the primary purpose of which is to guarantee his re-election. We now know that a significant portion of the funds intended to diversify the economies of all regions of Quebec are being used to buy votes in his riding. That is the good old-fashioned way of doing things. It is only a matter of time until he starts giving refrigerators to everyone.

I want to know why he is neglecting so many of the regions that have been severely affected by the crisis in the manufacturing industry. Why is he doing this to Mauricie, the Eastern Townships and central Quebec? Why?

[Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, December 3rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I always had a hard time figuring out what the minister and Paris Hilton have in common. Now I know: they each have their own private jet.

I can understand that, from time to time, the minister might have to fly to make announcements in far-flung regions. My colleagues can calm down now. But it is a little harder to understand why he would use a private plane to go back and forth between Ottawa and his place.

How many times did he fly out to make announcements, and how many of those times did he land in Bagotville, which is right next door to his house?

[Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, December 3rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, apparently the minister responsible for regional economic development is not very fond of his limousine. Perhaps it is not comfortable or stylish enough.

Documents obtained through access to information suggest that he much prefers private jets. No line-ups, and plenty of leg room.

Can he tell us why his official limousine is not good enough to get him back to his riding and why Canadians have to pay for his non-stop flights complete with appetizers?

[Manufacturing Industry, November 28th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, they should go tell that to unemployed workers and their families.

The Government of Quebec has grasped the seriousness of the crisis rocking the manufacturing sector. It is doing its job. It is taking concrete action to help that sector. Yesterday, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs announced somewhat hastily that she was going to try to organize a meeting with some tea and a few cookies in January, but that is too little, too late. The Conservative government must also provide concrete, significant support as soon as possible, before more jobs are lost.

Where is the Conservative government when Quebec needs it?

[Manufacturing Industry, November 28th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, the manufacturing sector, particularly in Quebec, is facing the worst crisis it has seen in the last decade, while the government just idly sits back and does nothing. This sector plays an important structural role within our economy, but this means nothing to them. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at stake, directly and indirectly; this also means nothing to them. They are completely washing their hands of the situation.

The Government of Quebec has just announced real measures, concrete measures. Why is the federal government hesitating to cooperate with it?

[Airbus, November 27th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, by attempting to paralyze the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, the Minister of Justice is playing with fire. He is on the verge of being in contempt of Parliament.

By signing Conservative members of the committee up for the crusade to save Brian Mulroney's skin, is he also asking his own colleagues to be in contempt of Parliament?

[Airbus, November 27th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, Conservative members have said that they do not feel comfortable sitting on the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics while it examines the Mulroney-Schreiber affair.

These members say that the Minister of Justice does not have the power to amend his own extradition order. Experts, on the other hand, say that he is the only one who has that power.

It is official. The Minister of Justice is handcuffing the Conservative members of the committee. He is cracking the whip to make them say what he wants to hear. Why? Because he wants to sweep this whole affair under the carpet.

[Airbus, November 16th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, that goes for the government too. The Prime Minister himself directed his government to cut all ties to Brian Mulroney.

Would it not also make sense for that directive to apply to current senior government officials who were involved in this skulduggery?

Does the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities realize that by keeping Paul Terrien on as his chief of staff, he is making himself an accomplice to an attempt to sweep the whole affair under the carpet?

[Airbus, November 16th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, in February 1998, Brian Mulroney went to a Zurich hotel to try to cover up his transactions with Karlheinz Schreiber. He asked Mr. Schreiber to sign a statement exonerating him, but Mr. Schreiber flatly refused to do so.

The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities' current chief of staff, Paul Terrien, was with Messrs. Mulroney and Schreiber at that hotel.

Who was he working for, Schreiber or Mulroney? Mulroney or Schreiber?

Will the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities distance himself from this affair and demand that his current chief of staff step down until the truth is known?

[Airbus, November 15th, 2007]

What we hear are ridiculous answers, Mr. Speaker.

When Mr. Schreiber indicated to the Prime Minister's Office that he had made an agreement with Brian Mulroney before he left public life, this government tried to cover up the affair for months.

This begs the question. Did the chief of staff for the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Paul Terrien, play a role in this cover-up operation?

In fact, is the government trying as much as possible to limit the mandate of the public inquiry in order to cover up the role played by Mr. Terrien in this whole affair?